The Inconvenient Truth
by iLeftMyHeartInNarnia
Summary: When Hermione is finally convinced to go to the Healer after weeks of strange nightmares, she discovers something about her self. on hiatus - not abandoned!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

" _Choose." The voice orders, coming from everywhere and nowhere, behind, in front, all around. She knows she's dreaming, knows she has to wake up, but all around her is the voice, and Harry, and Ron, and her parents, and her friends, all reaching out to her, desperate._

 _"_ _I can't!" She screams up at the sky, knowing she's being ridiculous and illogical, but unable to stop herself. "Help me! Please!"_

 _The voice is strange, yet familiar, and she fights to remember, but everything is suddenly foggy and the voice repeats over and over,_

 _"_ _Choose! Choose!"_

 _A figure starts to emerge from the fog, and she strains to see who it is, but the dream starts to break up, with only the voice left, haunting her._

 _"_ _Choose!"_

Hermione Granger wakes up in a cold sweat.

 _"_ _You have three months." The voice is behind him, then in front, then somewhere from above, and it's no use trying to pinpoint its exact location unless he wants to look like a fool, even if it may be in the privacy of his own dream. Nightmare, he corrects himself, attempting to analyze his situation even while unconscious._

 _"_ _To do what?" He yells, but there's no response. A fog presses in on him, and the voice booms again,_

 _"_ _You have three months."_

 _The fog solidifies into a shape he can't identify but it's starting to become clearer and he's falling, falling -_

Almost all the way across the world, his eyes shoot open.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I'm serious, Hermione, I'm worried about you."

"I know, Harry, but really, I'm fine. I'm an adult now. I can handle myself."

"Ron's worried too." He continues quietly. Hermione feels herself freeze, hears herself say,

"A little to late for that."

"I know he messed up, but you can't stay mad about it forever."

"Watch me. Really, Harry, I'm perfectly capable of dealing with a few nightmares. You're being ridiculous."

"Remember in our third year, when you used that time turner to take more classes?"

"I also remember saving Sirius and Buckbeack." She mutters sullenly.

"You overworked yourself ALL YEAR and didn't tell anyone about it. You take everything on yourself and don't let anyone help."

"Oh, you're one to talk, Mr. I-Can't-Love-You-Because-I'm-Going-To-Die."

"Please. Padma is a Healer at St. Mungo's, she could just take a quick look at you. This might be some type of sleep disorder."

It's the "please" that gets her. It's not that Harry is inconsiderate, but he has a tendency to save his manners for when he really needs them, which means he's genuinely worried about her.

"Fine." She mutters. "But Luna or Ginny is coming with me. I don't need you breathing down my neck while she asks me questions about what time I go to bed."

"Ginny's out of town."

"Again?"

He just shrugs.

"It's part of her job. What good would she be reporting on the Holyhead Harpies if she didn't see them play? She'll be back in a few days, but if you wanted to ask Luna, I could see if Padma will get you in today."

"I still think you're making a big deal out of nothing!" She yells after him as he opens the door to the hallway.

"I know you do!" Is all he says back before the door is closed and she's alone again.

The truth is, she doesn't remember most of her dreams. She remembers vague impressions - a voice, Harry, Ron - but not enough to be helpful. Although, she is beginning to remember more and more as the nightmares continue.

 _Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_

A few hours later, Hermione and Luna walk through the foyer of the hospital, ignoring the gasps from waiting patients and the murmurs that follow them.

"What do you think -"

"I heard Weasley -"

"- such a shame -"

"I hope Padma can make this quick. I probably just need a sleep pill or something. Do they have those in the wizarding world? Should I just take a muggle -"

"Hermione, I know you're scared, but it's going to be OK. There probably isn't anything wrong with you. You know how paranoid Harry is, especially when it comes to protecting his family. We'll be in and out in just a few minutes."

"You're right." Hermione smiles warmly at Luna, who had fast become one of her closest friends once the typical House divisions no longer existed. "Thanks, Lu. I know I'm being silly, I just - what if something is wrong?"

"Hermione?" Parma sticks her head out of one of the examination rooms with a kind smile. "Come on in!"

"There's probably nothing wrong with me." Hermione tells Padma as she settles on the small bench and prepares to be told her life is over. "But Harry insisted I come see you, and you know how he is."

"So what's been happening lately that would make Harry want you to go to the hospital?"

"Well, I have this recurring nightmare, and I can't remember most of it, just that I have to make a choice and there are a lot of people, and I have to choose something, and then there's some sort of person that's coming towards me but I can't see them."

"Hm. How long has this been going on?"

"Since my 19th birthday. I didn't used to get nightmares on the run - I mean, I did, but not like this - and then my 18th year I was busy helping out at Hogwarts and I slept like the dead. I don't think I dreamed at all. But this year, almost every night, it's the same thing, and I remember more and more of it each night."

Hermione realizes she's rambling and stops abruptly while Padma scribbles notes on a sheet of paper.

"Anything else unusual?"

Hermione shrugs.

"I mean, I guess I've been a little more volatile, emotions wise, but I just figured it had something to do with hormones."

Padma bites her lip as she scribbles a few more sentences on the paper, then waves her wand over it.

"So? Do you know what's wrong with me?" Hermione demands impatiently, fidgeting on the bench.

"Uh, kind of." Although Padma is usually professional (from what Hermione knows of her), she's suddenly unsure of herself. Hermione leaps up from her seat and before Padma can react, she's already staring at the paper and screaming,

"I"M A WHAT?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys, I got a couple reviews that this chapter had gotten messed up. I'm pretty sure it's fixed, but please let me know if there are still problems.

"Hermione…" Padma speaks as one would to a frightened animal as Hermione backs into the wall, horrified. "It's not confirmed yet, we have to run some tests -"

"A VEELA?" She screeches, her voice nearing decibels unheard by humans as she continues, "THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! I'M MUGGLEBORN! HOW - MY PARENTS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS -"

"Hermione!" Padma repeats, slightly louder and with more persistence. It's clear she's worried Hermione will have a panic attack or something, and she's not far off. "It's not a sure thing until we run blood tests."

"Does this mean I have a mate? Do I have to find them or I'll die? Oh my God am I going to die?"

Padma decides the slight lowering in Hermione's yelling is a good sign and just speaks over her, still in a soothing tone.

"Everything is going to be OK. We might not find anything in the blood tests. You might just be having weird dreams, you've been through a lot of trauma during the war so it wouldn't be that strange."

"How long will the tests take?"

"Not long. I'll just get a blood sample now and you can come back tomorrow for your results. And don't worry about this too much. No need to stress yourself out before it's confirmed."

"Right. Nothing to worry about." She repeats, pacing back and forth, her voice shaky. "What time should I come in tomorrow?"

Padma glances at the calendar hanging on her wall.

"Say… 4 in the afternoon? Is that convenient?"

"I might have to get an hour or so off of work, but I'm sure it will be OK with Harry. Thanks, Padma."

Hermione speaks quickly, trying to calm herself down as she continues to pace.

"Of course." Padma pats her shoulder gently. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"So, what did they say?" Harry demands. Hermione blinks in surprise and steps back.

"Harry! What are you doing here?"

"Luna said she heard you yelling and I thought maybe I should come down to make sure everything was OK."

"I'm fine, just a little shaken up. Padma still has to run a few tests, though, so it's nothing certain. I'll tell you after tomorrow."

"Why are you making your 'I'm in Denial' face?" He asks.

"Um, could we not do this here?" She deflects the question, glancing around. They're still in the waiting room, and other patients are starting to take notice. Two members of the golden trio in the same place, in public, isn't that common anymore unless it's a scheduled event, which they can tell this is not.

"Do what? Hermione, what did she say?"

"Mufflianto." She whispers.

"Hermione, you're really worrying me now. What happened?"

"She… she thinks I'm a Veela. They still have to run more tests, I have to go back tomorrow -"

Harry runs one hand through his hair in a tense, worried gesture he's done for years, and Hermione has to find a little bit of comfort in the familiarity of it.

"Harry, calm down. I already panicked enough for both of us, and it's not certain yet -"

"How is this possible?" He hushes his voice suddenly, realizing this is not something that should get out, especially not before Hermione is ready.

"I don't know. I'm hoping the blood tests will help make things clearer."

"Who else knows?"

"You, me, and Padma. Luna probably, because she just seems to know stuff. Do you think we should tell the Weasleys?"

"Ginny, yes. But I don't know how Ron will react."

"He'll probably think he's my mate."

"Are you sure he isn't?"

Hermione glares at him so harshly, he actually steps back as though it will cause him physical harm.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione takes a probably-too-large serving of Dreamless Sleep potion that night. It works, in that she doesn't have the nightmare, but she somehow manages to sleep until 9 in the morning without having it wake her up at 5 like it has every night for the past few months.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Is the first thing she says when she bursts through the doors to the Auror offices at 9:37 precisely. Harry looks up from his desk and glances at the clock, then looks back at her, surprised.

"Relax, Hermione, you're only half an hour late."

"But I usually get her at 6 - I won't possibly have time to get all my work done with only 8 hours - and I have to leave again for an appointment at 4 this afternoon! I'm so sorry -"

"Hermione, it's OK. You've never been late for work a day in your life, and I know you haven't been sleeping well. It's no surprise you'd be a little late at some point. Relax! You're going to hyperventilate!"

"Sorry, I'm still kind of nervous about… you know."

"I'm sure it will be OK." He says, standing and going around his desk to hug his best friend for 8 years. "Have you decided who you're going to tell?"

"Just Ginny, for now. But not until we're certain. You haven't told anyone yet, have you?"

"Whaaaaaat?" His voice shoots up an octave and Hermione glares at him suspiciously until he finally caves, backs away, and murmurs,

"I accidentally mentioned it to… uh…"

"Harry." Hermione says dangerously, completely forgetting her earlier guilt. "Who did you tell?"

"It's not that I _told_ him exactly… he just heard that we were both in the hospital and was concerned and -"

"Hermione!" Ron stands in the doorway, looking absolutely thrilled to see her, and she blanches, her face going totally white with shock.

"Ron, please leave." She whispers.

"What? But - Hermione - we must be mates! You're a Veela, and everyone knows we were always meant to be!"

"If we were actually meant to be, you might want to tell Lavender." Hermione folds her arms defensively in front of herself as Ron comes closer, and Harry half begins to put himself in front of her, reacting to the perceived danger, but Hermione shoves him out of the way in order to glare directly at the red head.

"I said I was sorry, what do you want me to do?" He demands desperately.

"You CHEATED on me, not once, but TWICE, with LAVENDER, and you think SORRY is ENOUGH?" She screams. Harry and Ron both leap backwards as her face reddens and her hair actually sparks, standing out from her head a full foot. "I CRIED for WEEKS about you! And YOU have the AUDACITY to even SUGGEST that YOU'RE my MATE?"

She punctuates each word, poking him emphatically in the chest, and he continues to move backwards until he's stumbling through the door and looking genuinely terrified of her. Once he's fully out of the office, she screams one last time,

"And don't EVER come BACK!" and slams the door in his face.

Harry sighs, relaxing slightly now that Ron is gone.

"Well, that went well." He mutters.

A/N: Hey guys! Apparently Fanfic still hates me, so I might have to reupload a couple chapters to get rid of the weird code thing. Please tell me if the formatting gets messed up so I can fix it. Thanks!

-iLeftMyHeartInNarnia


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hermione throws herself into Harry's desk chair.

"We don't even know if I'm really a Veela, and already the entire Wizarding World is going to know!" She sighs, exasperated

"Mione, I'm so sorry. This is totally my fault. I swear I didn't tell Ron on purpose. It just slipped out!"

"I know you didn't tell him on purpose, but that won't fix this. Ugh, I don't even want to think about how bad this will be."

Harry is silent for a few moments, thinking of something he can say that won't cause Hermione to fly into a fit of rage. He finally settles on,

"We got an anonymous tip on the location of Desdemona Grindewald."

Hermione leaps to her feet again.

"WHAT? And you didn't TELL ME?"

"Well, you only missed it because I made you go to the hospital." Harry is starting to realize he's chosen the wrong topic to calm Hermione down. With visible effort, she closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths.

"Just tell me about it before I lose my temper."

"Apparently, she and her - I guess followers is the best word - are hiding out in Alaska."

"How did the anonymous person get this information?" Hermione asks carefully. The Auror department has received false leads before, and she's learned not to be trusting of anything too good.

"We still don't know, but I sent a few undercover Aurors to check it out. They found evidence of a neo-Death Eater group hiding in a mountain cave, and we're sending in a team tomorrow. I think it's the same anonymous tipper we've had before. Remember when we were trying to track down those stray Death Eaters in China? I'm pretty sure it was the same guy. I dunno who, but it was definitely the same guy."

She slowly sits back in the desk.

"You have your own office." Harry informs her jokingly, attempting to lighten the tension in the air.

"But I'm being briefed!" She protests, picking up on the energy.

"OK, well at any rate, I get the sense this guy is sort of a freelance Auror. Like, a bounty hunter or something. All his notes are delivered via patronus, so we've never actually met him."

"What is his patronus? And how do you know he's a guy?"

Harry shrugs.

"It's a Husky, and his style of speech just - I'm the head of the Auror department don't question me."

"So, a hunch then."

He rolls his eyes and perches on the desk - his own desk, he notes with amusement, although Hermione has completely overtaken it by this point.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"OK, so, gender aside, can this source be trusted?" Hermione asked, attempting to retrieve the conversation from the strange gutter it's fallen into.

"All the information he's given us before has been accurate."

"Am I going on the mission?"

"If you want to. You're one of my best, Hermione."

"Even though I might be a -"

"You can't seriously believe I'd just drop you, even if you do turn out to be one."

She shrugs.

"I have to go."

"Hermione -"

"Really. I'm sorry I bothered you. I'll be at my desk."

Harry makes a sound as though he's going to say something else but it doesn't quite get to that point and Hermione brushes past him on her way out, tears forming in her eyes.

A/N: Hey guys! So, you might have noticed these first few chapters have been - to put it politely - bite size. At this point, I'm just ending the chapters wherever I find natural breaks, but as the story continues, the chapters will probably get longer, and more will happen.

-iLeftMyHeartInNarnia


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hermione tries to get some work done, but she can't concentrate - in fact, she can barely see as she cries.

 _I'm being ridiculous. Even if I am a Veela, nothing's going to change. After all, Lupin was able to find work once he was turned into a werewolf, aside from the insane prejudice he faced from everyone who knew him… I"ll just… find my mate, I guess, and I probably won't die even if I don't find him. Fleur didn't die. Oh crap, I have to talk to Fleur. Maybe Gabrielle too. Wait, is Gabrielle a Veela? She is, right? Aren't they only half…? Either way, they'll understand. Maybe they'll have books about it! That would help. Just to have something to reference so I know what I'm doing. Doing. Like this is on purpose. Ugh._

Her thoughts race around in her head and she manages to stay busy somehow until it's 3:45 and the alarm she set on her wand rings.

"Harry, I'm leaving for my appointment." She yells, sticking her head into his office on her way down the hall.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" He asks, looking up at her.

"I'll be fine." She assures him, already ducking out of the office. He nods, distracted by his work once more, and she spares a second to observe him, completely intent on his work.

 _This could be the last time I look at my best friend as a human. Hermione, cut it out! You're being illogical. Deep breaths. Make a list of facts._

 _1\. I may be a Veela_

 _2\. I have to talk to Fleur_

 _3\. but first I have to make sure I'm actually a Veela_

 _I have to go, I'll be late and Padma is probably busy, but she's just nice enough to take the time out of her day to help me._

Hermione walks down the hallway as quickly as possible without being suspicious (she hopes). Although the main hall of the Ministry of Magic is jam packed, she navigates the crowds of people with ease. If a few undercover paparazzi notice her moving a little fast and casually lift their cameras, well, she knows people will find out eventually, assuming Ron hasn't already spilled the beans. If she accidentally snubs a few department heads who wave and frown when when she doesn't see them, she probably saved them at least twice during the war so she isn't too worried.

Padma is finishing up with a patient when Hermione arrives, so she sits awkwardly in the waiting room, trying not to fidget too much. Luckily, there aren't a ton of people, but an old lady sitting across the room in one of the small black chairs is staring intently at her to the point where it's extremely awkward. When Hermione looks back however, the lady turns away and pretends to be reading one of the overly cheery posters on the otherwise blank walls.

"Hermione?" Padma opens the door, ushering a middle-aged man out as she waves Hermione in. "Great to see you."

Hermione smiles, but doesn't say anything until the door is closed and she's cast a mufflianto, at which point she begins pacing again.

"I actually just got the test back a few hours ago. I haven't had the chance to look at them yet, so believe me, you'll be the first to know."

Hermione bounces nervously on the balls of her feet as she quickly takes the piece of paper Padma is holding out. She reads quickly, then glances up at Padma, horror-struck. The Healer grimaces sympathetically, but there's nothing else she can do as Hermione begins to spiral into panic attack mode.

"This isn't possible. I was sure the tests would prove I was just having nightmares - how -?"

"Hermione, you know being a Veela is genetic, but you could have a relative somewhere very far back, for instance a great-grandmother, and the gene could have just randomly shown up in you. Cases like this are so rare, there isn't a lot of good data, but there have been muggle-born Veelas. I'd advise talking to - well, do you know anyone who is whole, or maybe part Veela?"

"I mean, I do know Fleur Delacour, but I wouldn't say we're close, exactly. Are there books on this?"

"There are Healers who specialize in magical beings, which Veelas technically are, so I can recommend one if that would help. Otherwise, just go to a book store and look around. There's no protocol for this."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Hermione is trying to make her fear into a joke, but she's too scared to make it convincing, and when she realizes this it just makes her more agitated.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"Thanks anyways." Hermione says, insincerely but as politely as she can.

She has the nightmare again that night, but all she remembers is silver.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Without the Dreamless Sleep potion, Hermione wakes up as early as normal. With nothing better to do, she grumbles her way into the kitchen, pours herself a glass of coffee, and opens the window for the Daily Prophet owl. In a desperate effort to prevent herself from obsessing about how her life is ruined, she pens a letter to Fleur and checks the wards again. When the owl arrives, she opens the window further, takes the paper without even glancing at it, throws it gently in the general direction of the table, and waits for it to leave. Then she quickly mutters a spell to turn the letter into the paper airplanes the Ministry uses, and sends it out the window.

When she has nothing left to do, Hermione picks up the paper from where it's fallen, next to the table, and skims through the ads with detached interest before flipping to the front page and checking the headline.

 ** _Golden Secret - What is Hermione Hiding?_**

 _Hermione Granger, famous member of the Golden Trio, has been observed at St. Mungo's several times this past week. When asked for comments, Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, said, "Listen, it's Hermione's business, not mine. Just ask her." In the past, Potter has been notably close-lipped about his friends, so this isn't so out of the ordinary, but still rather suspicious. This reporter spoke to Ron Weasley the day after Granger was sighted the first time, appearing very distressed. He was a lot more forthcoming, but his story is incredibly difficult to believe. "You want to know what's wrong with 'Mione, I'll tell you! She's a bloody Veela, that's what!" Is it possible the lovely young Ms. Granger is actually a Veela? As a student at Hogwarts, she had a well-documented love triangle with Quidditch player and celebrity Viktor Krum, Mr. Potter, and of course Mr. Weasley himself. Could it be that one of these men is her mate, or is this some kind of publicity stunt? We'll keep you posted._

"Perfect." Hermione mutters as she tears the paper into at least 30 shreds, then sets them on fire. "Just perfect."

Not thirty seconds later, the fireplace whooshes and Harry steps through, sniffing the air.

"Is something burning?"

Hermione just looks at him until he glances at the table where the paper shreds are still on fire, contained in a small bubble.

"I see you read the paper. I was just about to warn you - I swear I didn't know Ron would do this."

"People would find out eventually. I knew this would happen. I just wanted to let everyone know on my own terms. That being said, if Ron comes around here, I swear I'll punch him in the face like Malfoy in third year."

"He wouldn't possibly be stupid enough to do that."

Hermione frowns, because she knows he's wrong, but lets him believe the best of his friend.

"I don't know how I'm going to get to work today, I'm sure paparazzi are all around the flat. Can't get in, of course, but…"

"You can always floo in."

"I suppose, but I do enjoy walking to - oh, well. What's done is done."

Harry glances sideways at Hermione, nervously, knowing she's doing her best to keep herself in control and that anything could set her off at this point.

"Do you still want to go on the Alaska mission?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"You just seem a little…"

"Deranged? Volatile? Veela?" Each word is a bit more intense until she's practically screaming in his face.

"No, of course not! Just worried!"

"Why shouldn't I be? My entire life has been a lie somehow! I'm a - a - I'm a Veela! I'm a magical creature! I'm not even legally classified as a Witch anymore!"

She's spiraling out of control again, but Harry knows he'll only make things worse if he tells her. If he can just get her to take a calming drought or something, or just let this blow over, everything will be fine.

Someone knocks on the door before he can calm her down, and because he's a total moron, he answers it without checking the window to see who it is.

Ron barges past him into the flat without so much as stopping to say hello.

"Mione, I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't know they were going to print that - I was just angry -"

"Were you also drunk? What is wrong with you? You knew I wanted to tell people on my own terms and you went ahead and gave a statement to the Daily Prophet!"

"Look, I know you don't have the best relationship with Skeeter, but I didn't -"

Ron suddenly stops, realizing he's officially gone too far. Hermione's hair is sparking again and this time she's holding her wand.

"Hermione." Harry steps between them, arms raised in an effort to prevent her from committing murder. "I know you're mad, but don't do anything you'll regret later."

"I don't think I will." She replies with an icy glare. "Ron Weasley, if you do not remove yourself from my property within the next thirty seconds I will -"

Harry claps a hand over her mouth before she can finish the threat and as she practically vibrates with rage yells,

"You'd better go, Ron."

"No! Mione, I love you! Lavender meant nothing to me! If we're mates, denying me could kill you!"

"I'd rather die!" She screams back, forcibly removing Harry's hand from her mouth only to realize he's taken her wand. With no weapon immediately available, she settles for punching Ron in the nose. He staggers back, going cross-eyed from trying to look at the steady flow of blood trickling down his face, and Harry immediately lets go of Hermione and crosses the room to a safe distance. However, always the peacekeeper between his best friends, he continues his attempt at settling the conflict from behind the strongest protego he can manage.

"Hermione, just let him leave! You know you'll feel bad about it later if you hurt him! And Ron, please go. You two can talk later when you've both calmed down, but for now, Ron, you need to leave."

Hermione whirls around, sparking hair swirling around her head and making her look rather like an avenging goddess although nobody would be stupid enough to tell her that, and storms out of the room, slamming the door to her bedroom loudly enough to rattle a few plants on the windowsill behind Harry.

"If you're not gone before I come out, you won't like what happens!" She yells from behind the door, voice hoarse with anger, and Ron slowly backs out the front door, carefully putting his left hand over his nose to prevent further injury.

A/N: Hi guys! Life's been a little crazy lately and also I think my computer hates me so I'm really sorry if I can't update this story as much as I'd like to, but I'll do my best to add at least a chapter a week. If you have any questions, comments, etc., please feel free to comment - I'd love to hear your feedback! Try to guess Hermione's mate! *evil grin* nah just kidding... he should show up in a few chapters.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Despite her earlier breakdown, Hermione insists she can go to Alaska, and the entire Auror team is too scared of her to say anything different. Harry knows she has a habit of throwing herself into her work to keep herself away from a mental meltdown, so going on a mission might actually help her, and either way he's terrified of her as well, if not more so because he knows her better.

At any rate, Hermione shows up at 5:49 exactly (he'd told everyone they were leaving at 6, but to arrive at least 10 minutes early) in all magical camo with her hair in two french braids tucked into a knot, scraped tight by ruthless efficiency.

"Hi." He says awkwardly. She glances right through him and says,

"Where is everyone?"

"They should be here soon. I said 5:50, so everyone should be here by about 5:55."

She stands there awkwardly for a few moments before practically collapsing into a chair across from his desk, too emotionally exhausted to even try to monopolize the desk chair.

"I'm sorry." She murmurs after a few awkward seconds. "I've been horrible to you lately. I'm just so scared nobody's going to look at me the same way again."

"Hermione, you haven't changed."

"What else do you call being informed I'm a Veela?" She whispers, still quieter, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't even know who my mate is. I'm supposed to meet with Fleur later. I owled her yesterday and she said I could come over to Shell Cottage tonight. But - Harry, everything has changed even if I haven't! I don't know what I'm going to do."

With every phrase she folds into herself a little more until she finally just gives up and lets her head fall limply to the counter.

"I can't logic my way out of this, and I'm just now realizing that's all I'm good at."

"Mione, you are one of the strongest people I know. You'll get through this. And Ron will come around."

"What about my mate?" She mumbles tearfully into the desk. "Oh God, I think I'm having a mental breakdown!"

"Why is this hitting you so hard? You were an instrumental part in defeating Voldemort. You brewed an advanced potion on a bathroom floor when you were twelve! You started an illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts group when you were fifteen! You stole a hippogriff and freed a man convicted for murder using a time turner! I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you!"

"But all that stuff I could control! This is something that's just happening to me and I have no choice about what to do."

Harry transfigures a pen into a tissue and offers it to her.

"I just feel crappy all the time." She continues mournfully as she takes it with a nod of gratitude. "I don't know why. Maybe it's some sort of side effect. I have to talk to Fleur."

"Crappy how?"

"Like I'm going to throw up or something even though there's nothing wrong. My stomach is just in constant pain, like I'm really hormonal or something… I don't know."

"It sounds like you're sick. Are you sure you want to come on the mission?"

"I don't want being a Veela to ruin my life."

"You need to take care of yourself. Being a Veela has nothing to do with it. Reschedule with Fleur for earlier in the day."

"I'm so sorry." She repeats. "I'm a horrible person. I'm just moping around -"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Reschedule with Fleur, figure out what's going on, and come back to work when you're ready."

With one last apology, she stumbles out the door with both hands on her stomach. Harry frowns after her, realizing the side effects she's mentioning are probably much more severe than she'll admit.

Hermione meets Fleur at a small coffee shop a few blocks away from her house instead of Shell Cottage, because after she had told Fleur about the pain and general sickness, it was suddenly imperative that they meet immediately.

Fleur is already sitting in the windowseat when Hermione walks in, suppressing the overwhelming urge to curl into a ball and cry for a few hours. She feels weak, and she hates that she's weak which just makes everything worse.

"Oh, 'Ermione, I'm so glad you're 'ere." She gasps, crossing the shop in a flurry of concerned energy. "I didn't realize you were already so far along in your Recherche d'âme, or I would 'ave insisted we meet earlier."

"I'm sorry, my what? Does it have to do with me feeling so sick?"

"As soon as you are fully mature, there is a sort of… ah, a countdown. Usually you 'ave until your twenty first birthday to find your mate."

"Well how will I know if I find him? I could just walk right by him!"

Fleur smiles softly, clearly fondly remembering something.

"You'll know." She assures Hermione as they head towards the table she had been sitting at when Hermione arrived. "But until you do find 'im, these symptoms will steadily worsen. You'll be more likely to 'ave emotional instability."

"So I'm not crazy? I'm not being weak?"

"Of course not. The few months before I met Bill, I was a mess."

"Oh. Thank goodness. I thought I was just insane."

"The easiest way to find your mate is to just go out in public a lot, which probably isn't a good idea for you because you're such a public figure. But trust me, you will find 'im. The fates will make sure of it."

"The…?"

"Oui, zee fates."

Hermione smiles politely but Fleur catches the disbelieving crease in her forehead.

"You'll see." She continues. "I'll find a few books for you too."

"Oh." Hermione smiles, already feeling better, and Fleur chuckles softly.

A/N: Yes, yes, I know, I can't make Fleur sound French. But listen: I can't ever tell what she's saying when people do it right and you all know what she sounds like, you can make it up in your head. Also, I hope this chapter answered a few of your questions about why Hermione is so out of character. Don't worry, I'm not just writing her badly, it's on purpose. OK I'm done with this obscenely long author's note… see you guys next chapter and as always, feel free to comment with any questions!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _The figure is coming closer, still hidden by the fog, taller than she is, with dark hair and piercing eyes…_

 _"Come find me." He whispers._

 _"Who are you?" She demands, backing away. The white blankness of the dream is covering him up again and she hears one more time,_

 _"Choose."_

 _"Choose what?" Hermione screams, but there's no response and the fog is swallowing her up until she is no more._

"How's our guest doing today?'

"His eyes are open. We'll only be able to keep him under for a few weeks more. He's aging already - he's almost 19."

"How much longer exactly? I don't want an estimate, Arcutus, I want data!"

"I - I'm sorry, Mistress, I don't know exactly. This has never been done before, it's an entire new area of study-y-y AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Hermione wipes her eyes blearily, peering down at the book resting in her lap once more. She keeps dozing off, but each time she has the dream and wakes up again within minutes. She glances at the clock across the room.

"2 AM." She whispers to herself.

 _It's so dark outside,_ Hermione thinks, _It's probably lovely. The reporters won't get up this early. I could just go outside to the roof for a few minutes - clear my head._

She wordlessly summons her wand, which leaps into her hand with what would be delight if it was sentient.

"Lumos."

She doesn't need to say the spell, but it's eerily quiet this early and the sound of her own voice is the only one in the room.

The pain is better - Fleur had given her several Veela-specific painkilling potions, and she doesn't actually feel like throwing up whenever she moves, but the other symptoms are steadily worsening. She feels completely out of control of herself most days and hasn't been to work in several days - since her meeting with Fleur. Harry sends her owls with anything she needs to complete and she does it at home without too much trouble. She realizes she hasn't read the report from the day before and decides to overview the files after she gets back from the roof.

Hermione manages to get herself up to the roof without any disasters and transfigures a couple of loose branches into a thick mattress-like comforter and several blankets. She arranges herself on the blankets until she's comfortable and stares up at the sky.

 _I haven't been stargazing in so long. I forgot how beautiful it is. The sky is so clear - there are hardly any clouds out tonight. Or this morning, I suppose._

Hermione finds Leo, Regulus, Scorpius, Taurus, Lyra, and has actually lost count by the time the sun pierces the horizon, filling the sky with purple and pink streaks.

 _I forgot to look at those files - I've been here for hours._

Hermione pulls herself to her feet and walks down the stairs into her apartment and crosses from there to her desk where there are several tall piles of papers. On the very top is a note from Harry, almost illegible to the untrained eye.

H -

Alaska was a success. We found G's daughter. She and many escaped. We found someone you'll want know about. My flat, ASAP.

\- H

Hermione frowns. She really doesn't feel like leaving her flat, but if Harry has encrypted his message, it must be important. She takes a pinch of floo powder out of a small box on the mantle and throws it into the fire, yelling,

"Grimmauld Place!"

Harry is sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee and reading a book - something that Hermione notices probably hasn't happened in several months. This only serves to support her opinion that something is very wrong.

"Harry?" She asks hesitantly as she steps out of the fireplace, coughing through the word. He leaps out of his chair, whirls around, and drops the book on the floor. Several pages remove themselves from the cover and float limply to the ground by themselves as dust flies around the already dusty room and Hermione chokes even more, the dust and smoke combining in the air.

"Oh! 'Mione! I'm sorry, you scared me. Are you feeling better?"

She nods.

"A little. What happened?"

"We found Desdemona's base in Alaska. She and a bunch of her followers escaped, but we have four guys at the Ministry in holding cells, which isn't that bad. But that isn't the important part. We were looking around the base, and in one of the back rooms we found someone in a magical stasis."

"Who?" Hermione steps out of the fireplace, Veela side effects pushed momentarily behind her insane curiosity.

"We can't tell. There were security wards that went into effect when we raided the base. That's actually why I owled you - to see if you could help us break through them. Michael figured out that the preservation spell will wear off in about two weeks, and unless we can get him out before then, he'll die."

Hermione frowns and hefts her wand. The pain is coming back now that there's nothing to distract her from it and she needs to do something before it becomes too much or she has another panic attack (she's had five in the past two days).

"OK. Where did you put whatever it is I'm supposed to look at?"

Harry waves his wand and the book begins to reassemble itself (complete with dust). Then he leads Hermione up to Sirius's old bedroom. Hermione can tell he hates having to go in here, but as he walks he says,

"I know this was Sirius's room, but Ron's staying in the living room and Regulus's room is a mess from the time half the Weasleys had a party here and - anyways, Sirius's room was the best option. Here we go."

Hermione walks into the room and sees a large blue shape floating in midair. She lifts her wand and suddenly finds herself drifting into the fog again.

A/N: Just so you know, the main point of this story is not for Hermione to find her mate. He'll show up next chapter. That being said, try to guess Hermione's mate before next chapter! Comment with who you think it is!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _Hermione shakes her head to clear it, looks around, and finds herself once again in the fog._

 _"_ _Crap." She mutters. "Harry is probably worrying about me."_

 _The air is clearer than usual - she can see a flat white surface below her, seeming to extend out forever, but she's alone. No voices, no confusing series of people, no mysterious fog-cloaked figure - just her, in her own head._

 _"_ _Hello?" She yells. "I need to wake up!'_

 _No response. Her voice echoes quieter and quieter until she can't hear it anymore._

 _At least the dreamscape (that's what she's decided to call it) is mercifully Veela-symptom free. She's almost forgotten what it's like to feel normal and in control, even though she knows logically it's only been a few months._

 _"_ _Hello!" She screams, louder this time. No difference, except that the echoes last a few seconds longer. Frustrated, she bats at the fog swirling near her head._

 _She realizes nobody is going to answer within moments and decides to just walk until she finds something._

 _It feels like it's been days, and she doesn't have her wand (of course) so there's no way for her to find out the actual time. It's possible no time has passed at all and she'll open her eyes in two minutes and Harry will still be rambling about wards and Sirius. Maybe she's been in a coma for weeks already._

 _Suddenly she hears another voice. It sounds rough, as though whoever it is hasn't spoken in years, or has been yelling for hours. Either of which could be true - she doesn't know whoever it is._

 _"_ _Hello?" She yells, desperate for any human contact no matter whoever the other person is. Up ahead, the fog is thickening into a curtain and she walks faster._

 _The voice sounds again, but it's muffled and she can't make out the words. She waves her hands around, the fog swirling around her but slowly but surely thickening despite her best efforts. Finally she steps through._

 _"_ _Sirius?"_

 _"_ _I'm not Sirius." He says, sounding bemused. "Who are you? Where are we?"_

 _Hermione is still staring at him. He looks exactly like what she imagines Sirius would look like if he was 19 or so. Then it hits her and she actually stumbles back._

 _"_ _That's impossible." she breathes. "You're dead too. There's no way -"_

 _"_ _No way that what?"_

 _"_ _I have to sit down. This is impossible."_

 _He moves towards her, seeming concerned, and she stumbles back further, falling backwards and actually landing in a seated position on the ground, where she starts to laugh, borderline hysterical._

 _"_ _Are you OK?" He kneels down next to her. She takes a deep breath, stares in his stormy grey eyes, and whispers,_

 _"_ _What's your name?"_

A/N: OK, you already know who her mate is at this point and this is probably a needless cliffhanger but don't worry, the next chapter will be up soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 _"I'm sorry, do I know you?"_

 _"No. I was born about 20 years after you disappeared, if I'm right. What's your name?"_

 _"Regulus. What do you mean? I've been here for a while, but 20 years?"_

 _Hermione takes another deep breath._

 _"OK. Um, after you stole Voldemort's locket, leaving a note in its place, gave it to Kreacher to destroy, and were almost killed by Inferi, everyone assumed you were gone for good. But just a few hours ago I found out there was a person in a magical stasis, and since you're here, I assume it's you."_

 _"How do you know about that?"_

 _"You would have been about 17." She plows on. "Harry said the spells were starting to break down, so I assume that's why you've aged a few years. What's the last thing you remember?"_

 _"I - I was drinking the vial and I gave the locket to Kreacher… I needed water and then suddenly everything went black. How do you know this?"_

 _"I told you. You've been in stasis for twenty years. We figured stuff out when we were trying to destroy Voldemort."_

 _He sits next to her, equally confused._

 _"No. There's no way."_

 _"Exactly! This is - oh my God."_

 _"What?"_

 _Hermione jumps up again and starts pacing around the area as she thinks. At this point, Regulus is genuinely concerned for her wellbeing, but he stays put on the - he can't quite call it ground, but there's no better description, so ground it is._

 _"I was too focused on the logistics of how you got here, but I just realized l - if you're here, it's because you're my - oh my God. Oh my God."_

 _"I have so many questions." He mutters, mostly to himself, before saying, louder, "I don't even know your name."_

 _"Yeah, that might be helpful, considering we have to spend the rest of our lives together."_

 _He just stares at her until she sighs and sits down again. She seems incapable of staying still, though, and sways gently side to side as she speaks._

 _What feels like two hours later, she's gone through everything, and they've discussed the past until he understands the basics of what's happened to him. Hermione won't talk about Sirius, and she knows he'll ask but she doesn't want to be the one to tell him. After all, the last time the two brothers saw each other, Regulus was a Death Eater and Sirius an aspiring Auror, and Gryffindor and Slytherin to boot._

 _She can't imagine they got along well but even so, finding out your only sibling is dead can't be an easy conversation for anyone._

 _"Am I still in the stasis bubble thing?" Regulus finally inquires after being silent for almost her entire explanation of the present. Hermione shrugs. Now that she feels slightly more comfortable around him, she's loosening up, and her natural "know-it-all" bossiness is returning. While a week ago she would have just left it at that, now she lectures in a slightly hoarse voice (she absently wonders if she's speaking in the real world as well, and reminds herself to ask Harry later),_

 _"The last time I saw you, you were. My theory is that when Desdemona Grindelwald, to the best of my knowledge, kidnapped you, she placed you under the spell to keep you cooperative. I don't know why she wanted you, if she tortured you for information and then obliviated you, or if she just wanted a boyfriend. She's unstable, to the point of her motives being kind of garbled. But either way, when the Aurors raided her base and stole you, you were under the spell. When I came to Harry's flat, you were under the spell. However, it could have been weeks that we've been unconscious, and they might have figured out a way to get you out. Actually, the fog could be a visual representation of the spell, and the fact that it's clear means you've been broken out, or it could just be a strange - I'm sorry, I'm rambling."_

 _"No, it's interesting. Do continue."_

 _"Well - uh, that was about it, really. Do you have any other questions? I'm sorry, I know this must be kind of a shock for you."_

 _"A bit, yeah. I hope I get to meet this Harry bloke. He seems like a good sort."_

 _Hermione smiles fondly._

 _"The best."_

 _"But, if I'm your mate, you and he never…"_

 _Hermione shakes her head vigorously._

 _"No, despite the tabloids, me and Harry were never more than friends. I think you two would get along, actually, although I suppose I don't know much about you and now that I'm saying this I realize I'm rambling again and - I'm just really sorry."_

 _"Are you usually this nervous?" He asks cautiously, as politely as possible._

 _"No, actually." She lets out a breathy laugh. "I suppose I'm a little nervous. I only found out I was a Veela a few weeks ago, and I never suspected you were - well, you know. This is all just kind of hard to wrap my head around. I prefer to deal in facts, and so far being a Veela has just been hormones and emotions. It's terrible."_

 _Regulus smiles, realizing Hermione has no idea how endearing it is when she gets off on a tangent, but it fades quickly. She notices, but is tactful enough not to mention anything, and they sit in contemplative silence together._

"You did WHAT?"

"My Lady, I apologize. There were too many of them - Harry Potter himself -"

The sound of a slap echoes through the empty manor.

"You FOOL!" She screeches. "This will ruin everything! If those ridiculous Aurors manage to break the spell before Black dies, he'll tell them -"

"He'll tell them what, My Lady?" Another voice interjects itself smoothly into the conversation as though interrupting an acquaintance during tea. "He won't remember anything for months, and in the time he's adjusting to whatever they do with him, we can sneak in an agent, or better yet, hire someone to do it for us, and bring him back."

"You are forgetting, you incompetent slug, that he was - still is - a master duelist. We lost excellent warriors capturing him in the first place. I'm not going through all that again. No, there is no chance of the experiment continuing. We'll simply have to kill him. You! You have two months. Do it, or risk my… displeasure."

The man actually shakes and she allows herself a triumphant smirk.

"Yes, My Lady." He bows deep before her and backs out of the room.

"Hermione?"

 _"Did you hear that?" Hermione stands again, grabbing Regulus's arm and pulling him with her._

 _"Hear what?"_

 _"My name! Somebody said my name! I must be waking up!"_

"Hermione, are you OK? Come on, please wake up!"

"Ha _rry, I'm fine!"_

"She said something! Mione, can you hear me?"

" _Yes, Harry, I can hear_ you."

 _The fog starts to dissipate. Regulus turns to her and says desperately,_

 _"Hermione, please figure out how to get me out of the spell!"_

 _"I will." She promises, placing her hand in his larger one. "I promise."_

 _And then everything is dark and she's falling, falling, falling_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Harry is leaning over her when she comes back to her normal dimension. Her vision seems wavy and indistinct, but his piercing green eyes shine through and she hears his voice as he yells frantically,

"'Mione, wake up! Wake up please!"

"Harry." She croaks. He leaps backwards, out of her view, but she hears him scream, even louder,

"Ron! She's awake!"

"Ron's here?" Her vision is clearer and she feels more normal, and she's able to understand the connotations behind his words.

"'Mione! Merlin! You scared the bloody he -"

Harry coughs pointedly, and Hermione knows Ron is rolling his eyes, even though she can't see him.

"Sorry. 'Mione, you scared the heck out of me."

Harry coughs again, and Ron corrects himself for the second time.

"Us. You scared the heck out of us."

"Sorry." She mutters, not at all happy to have Ron anywhere near her. "It wasn't exactly my idea to pass out, believe it or not."

"Did you see something important? You were out for almost ten minutes."

"I did, actually." She coughs once, twice, and sits up. "My mate? It's Regulus Black. He's the one trapped in that - that spell thing. I'm sorry, I don't know the exact term. Everything's still kind of fuzzy. Ow, my head."

Harry helps her stand, holding her steady as her legs wobble and the world spins. Finally everything seems to right itself and she sees Ron moving towards her, looking as concerned as Harry. On instinct, she flings her arm out and Ron bounces of a wordless, wandless Protego. He sits down on the couch, looking hurt and bemused, but she's too focused on telling Harry what she's discovered. He summons a glass of water and she drinks quickly, taking small but rapid sips so as not to overwhelm herself.

"Anyways," she continues when she feels steadier, "Regulus and I spoke in the dream dimension place thing, and we figured out that Grindelwald - Desdemona that is - kidnapped him after he stole the locket. Everyone assumed he was killed by the Inferi, when really, they put him in stasis and here we are. We have to get him out. He's already been in there for too long to be safe for a human, or a wizard, or anybody really."

"Wait, hold up, he's your -"

"Yeah, it was hard for me to wrap my head around too. But Harry, the pain - aside from the whole passing out thing - it's gone. I feel normal. I forgot how much I liked being in control of myself." Now that Hermione has mostly recovered from passing out, she has so much energy. She wants to jump up, to run around and do something, because for the first time in so long, she feels… she feels great! She feels like she can solve an arithmancy equation and then run a mile, although for months, she's barely mustered the courage to get out of bed through the pain.

"Hermione, don't get ahead of yourself. I know you're excited, but your symptoms might still come back, unless we can get Black out of the stasis spell." Ron seems to be trying to let her down easy and she realizes in the back of her mind that he's probably concerned for her, but she still feels like she's going to burst, because the anger is rising, rising - and then, then, she just doesn't. Then she tamps back the flood of emotions and says to her former best friend, her tone ice cold,

"Ronald. You do not understand what's going on. I'm not saying I do, but I have the right to have an opinion because I'm living it. You do not get to decide whether or not I'm your mate. You do not get to take advantage of me when you think I'm weak and will just accept you as my mate. I gave you so many chances, Ron! I tried so hard! I did all your work for you at Hogwarts. I let you copy off my notes even during Auror training. You have never, never in my entire life, said "Thank you, Hermione." You make up dumb nicknames for me because you can't bother to say a three syllable name. And I'm sick of it. For so long, I've felt too bad to do anything but scream or cry at you, but I'm in control now and I have had enough of letting you coast off my hard work, because you have never once helped me! You cheated on me, you yelled at me whenever I did something you didn't like! You have been nothing but a negative influence on me, and I'm done." She stops, seems to hear herself for the first time, and repeats softly, "I'm done."

Harry's jaw actually drops, and Hermione walks out of the room with quiet dignity.

When she closes her eyes, she can feel an invisible string pulling her towards something, and from what she does know from the many, many books she's read, it's probably the unsealed mate bond trying to help her find Regulus. She lets it guide her up a winding staircase and down a hall that seems vaguely familiar, but she can't quite place it. Soon, she's opening a door with familiar initials on it, right above eye level.

"Of course." She whispers triumphantly.

The stasis spell is still intact, and as soon as she walks into the room, she feels the magical energy practically vibrating in the air. The blue shell-like thing is propped against the bed, and although it looks almost exactly the same, after a few seconds of peering at it closely, she is able to detect what seems to be a slight unravelling of the magic making it up. It doesn't seem to have a pattern, which would indicate it was natural decay instead of a signal that someone had tried to break in. Hermione pulls her wand out of her pocket, which she'd spelled with the same charm she used to use on her handbag before realizing it would be just as effective on a pocket. She had been working on combining all her pockets so that she could put something in a pocket of one pair of pants and take it out of another pair, but once the Veela symptoms had started, she just hadn't had the energy.

Hermione pulls herself out of her thoughts and murmurs a couple of spells to analyze the spell. As she waits, she glances around the room.

 _It's funny how Harry didn't even know it was Regulus inside the spell, but he put him here anyways._ She thinks.

Although she's seen the room before, she still finds herself staring at the Slytherin decorations on the walls - the decorations all around the room were obviously well cared for before Regulus disappeared, but everything is covered in dust now and she coughs when Regulus inside the stasis spell rolls slightly to the left, pushed by the force of the spells she's cast.

"Hermione!" She hears someone yelling from down the hall.

"Up here! I'm trying to figure out what happened to Regulus and if I can break the spell!" She screams back. Within minutes, the door is flying open behind her and she coughs again as yet more dust is disturbed.

"Harry said you were feeling better."

"Remus? What are you doing here?"

"The boys were worried about you. They called me. But when I got here, they told me you were up, and I just thought I should see what was going on."

"I'm glad you did, actually. You probably know Regulus Black better than I do."

Remus seems visibly shaken and he repeats in amazement,

"It's true? Regulus Black is your mate? How is that even possible?"

Hermione shrugs.

"I could get into it, but it's kind of a long story."

"I'm sure."

They just stare at each other for a few awkward moments, and Hermione realizes that Remus probably knew Regulus when he was younger, and the memories likely weren't that positive.

"If only Sirius could be here." Remus chuckles softly, but the incredulous smile Hemione's confused him into slides off his face.

"They'd probably fight like cats and - well, dogs, if we ever manage to get Regulus out of the stasis spell."

"So, what have you tried so far?" The werewolf pulls himself out of his memory and soon they're discussing the merits of certain analysis spells over others.

A/N: Just to be clear, I'm not bringing Sirius back - one resurrected Black brother is enough for me. But - well, you'll see. Anyways, he's not going to be an actual character in the story.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hermione wakes up from the first dream-free night she can remember for a while. She wonders if this is good news or bad news - on the one hand, she's found her mate and isn't suffering the terrible Veela side effects anymore, but on the other hand, if she's not getting the dreams that probably means something bad for Regulus.

 _My mate. God._ She takes the time to reflect, because she knows subconsciously it's probably still early and the household asleep.

 _I still can't believe this. Regulus Black is my mate! How did this happen? Two years ago - two months ago even, I would never have believed this to be possible._

With nothing better to do, Hermione eventually hauls herself out of bed, bracing herself for the pain that - doesn't come. She actually chuckles to herself in pure delight.

The room is dark and for a moment she can't remember where she is, but at a quick "Lumos," light shoots from the end of her wand, illuminating Regulus's bedroom. The creepy coffin-like cocoon across the room still freaks her out, but now that she knows who is inside it, part of her (probably the Veela part) feels like it's almost her - well, not her job, but maybe her duty.

She smiles to herself sadly as she looks at the cocoon. If she can't get her mate out in time - no. She will. She has to.

Failure is not an option.

 _Hermione?_

 _Regulus! How -_

 _I don't know, I wanted to talk to you and it just… worked! Isn't this amazing? It probably has to do with the bond._

 _Do you need to sleep in there?_

 _I don't know if I'm asleep or awake. It's been so long… I don't even remember how to walk that well - maybe I'll get out of this thing and just have to relearn how to do everything. Walk, eat, use the bathroom - I don't know._

 _We're working on getting you free, I promise. Although actually, do you have any ideas?_

 _I've been thinking about it. Maybe - work on picking apart the individual layers and threads of the curse instead of looking at it as one whole._

 _That makes sense. Wait - am I asleep?_

 _I don't know!_

 _Well, you're in my head._

Regulus does what she's sure would be a laugh if she could see or hear him. Well, she can, but it's more that she can sense him than anything else.

"Harry!" She calls, making her way out into the hallway. "Regulus had an idea!"

"I don't know, Hermione." He frowns, shaking his head. "Picking the spell apart thread by thread, so to speak, will take a lot longer than if we can figure out a way to get to the source and shut it off for good."

"Fine." She replies stubbornly. "You can 'shut it off for good' while I try to pick it apart."

"But we'll do better working on the same thing at the same time than splitting up!"

"Then you can help me!"

"But if you're wrong, we waste valuable time -"

"I'm not wrong! Regulus himself said -"

"Hermione, the man's been locked up in a magic casket for years! He's not the most reliable source!"

"What are you two fighting about this early?" Remus steps through the fireplace, wearily running one hand through his hair.

"I spoke to Regulus. He thinks it might be more productive if we try to pick the spell apart metaphorical thread by thread, instead of trying to shut it off like we were intending."

"That might work."

"What? But Remus - we have a lead on Grindelwald! We could shut this thing off for good! It might take a long time if we have to do unravel it. But if we get Grindelwald to tell us -"

"And how exactly would we do that?" Hermione demands, exasperated. "She's an evil dark lord, literally the spawn of Satan, not to mention her goons. She has people all over the world, no doubt. But we have the spell here! We could fix it here. Now!"

"I… guess it's possible. How about this." Harry proposes. "We'll work on this for two weeks. If we haven't made any progress, we go after Grindelwald. If we do manage to accomplish something, we keep going. OK?"

"OK. I'll tell Regulus."

"Um…"

"I can hear his thoughts. I sometimes see him too, in dreams. We think it's part of the whole Veela thing."

"Hm." Remus thinks to himself for a minute while Harry and Hermione glare at one another. "It's a good theory. We should call Bill, he's good at unraveling spells just like this one. And he can keep a secret. Fleur, of course, will know all about the Veela side of things. Ron -"

"No."

"Malfoy?"

"What?"

"He's our informant. That's what we discovered in Alaska."

"And you just neglected to tell me? That's kind of important!"

"Well - we were interrogating the henchmen yesterday and one of them mentioned Malfoy."

"Lucius or Draco?"

"Both, actually. Lucius is apparently a devoted member of Desdemona's circle, while Draco has been acting a little weird lately. He thinks Draco is still loyal, but acknowledges that he's been sending a lot of letters."

"So you think he's our guy."

"I do."

"And do we have a way to reach him?"

"Well… no. Technically. But it can't be that hard."

"Sure. Harry, tracking down Draco Malfoy under normal circumstances is hard enough. But now? It's practically impossible."

"He'd be a huge help."

"If we can find him."

"We can't."

"So let's call that plan… B."

Hermione rolls her eyes.

"You have an obsession, Harry."

"I just think he'll be able to help us!'

"Good grief," Remus mutters. "There are only 2 days until the full moon. I do not have the energy for this."

Hermione laughs.

"Sorry, Remus. Do you want some coffee?"

"That would be great."

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this in so long; just had a lot going on. I'll try to update this less sporadically in the future, but no promises! I have a few chapters already written, so those at least should be coming shortly.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

By lunchtime, Harry and Remus have assembled a fairly impressive team of cursebreakers. Fleur and Hermione talk quietly in the kitchen, Hermione telling her about the visions, dreams, and telepathy while Fleur tries to lecture her about the timeline of Veela mates. Bill and Remus inspect Regulus's magical casket, while Harry is on the phone with Ginny, arguing in a hushed voice with her about Ron.

"I just don't know. I haven't felt any particular draw towards him, but then again, he's mostly unconscious. Do you think the telepathy and everything are related to the Veela thing?" Hermione demands.

"Undoubtedly. The question is, what stage are you at? We have two weeks to unlock Regulus, but you might have less time to claim him. Veelas are naturally possessive creatures. If we can't free him before time runs out, the pain will return, and worse."

"Great."

"Hermione!" Harry suddenly calls, rushing over to her and looking extremely flustered. "Can you talk to Ginny?"

"Uh… sure?" She and Fleur share a confused glance as Hermione takes the cellphone. "Ginny?"

"Hermione! I swear to Merlin, I'm going to punch Ron. I had no idea he would do anything like this. Next time I see him, I'll -"

"Ginny! Ginny, calm down! I'm fine. What's going on?"

"The thing in the paper. I just saw it, I'm so -"

"You don't have to apologize. You're not the one that spilled my secret all over the wizarding world. What could you have done?" She replies logically. "You're halfway across the continent. Ginny, I'm fine. It's OK."

"I'd come back, but -"

"Actually, Ginny, while I have you, what do you know about the mystery informant sending letters to Harry? Because he thinks it's Draco Malfoy."

"I do not!" Harry splutters in the background. "I'm just saying, when you weigh all the evidence, it's possible -"

"He thinks it's Draco Malfoy."

"Hm. That's possible, I guess."

"Are you serious? You're on this too?"

"It's hardly a likely scenario, but I mean… it could be. You never know. Stranger things have happened."

"I will admit, it would be just like Malfoy to do the least likely thing we could think of. But even if it is him, how do we find him?"

Hermione can't see Ginny's face, but she can practically hear the shrug in her friend's voice.

"If it's Malfoy, I'd just keep an eye out. He'll show up. If there's one thing he's not, it's inconspicuous. I have to go, but I'll call you soon. Let me know if anything with Malfoy comes up, or if Ron still needs his arse kicked after you're done with him."

"I will. Bye, Ginny."

"Bye."

Hermione hands Harry back his cell.

"Thank you." He breathes, relieved. "She was just threatening Ron as loud as she could, and I couldn't make heads or tails out of anything she said."

"Well, that -" Hermione begins, but she's cut off by Remus and Bill crossing the kitchen.

"We have a plan," Bill announces. "Based on the width of the average male teenager, the shell is about four inches thick. If you think about it like an onion, there are many layers to peel back. But if you think about it as a ball of yarn, there are individual strings of magic to separate. There's some debate on how to go about dismantling the shell, whether by layers or by strings. However, since the majority of us believe it will be better, in the long run, to detangle rather than peel, that's what we'll do. Remus and I found a spell that should work. The spell itself is just "extrico veneficium hominum, and while you say it, you twirl your wand around three times, then drag it from left to right. We'll practice that a few times, then head up."

"Question," Hermione interjects, raising one hand. "Should we move Regulus to a more open area? This might get messy."

"That's probably a good idea, but the problem is, I don't know where would be a good place to park him. It? Him? I think we can say 'him.' Because there's a person in there."

"Remus!"

"Sorry. My point is, we just don't know where would be a better place to put him if we take him out of his room."

"That's true," Harry admits thoughtfully. "The basement, maybe?"

"Sure." Bill says with a nod. "I'll go up and get him. You all practice the spell, we'll get started when I finish transporting it. Does anyone want to order food? This will take a good deal of magical energy, and I don't want anyone passing out."

"I'll do it. My phone's out anyways." Harry volunteers. "The rest of you go on down."

"Hermione." Fleur pulls her aside as Remus goes downstairs and Harry dials a nearby pizza shop. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"You just said I have to get my mate out, to avoid torture and all. That's what I'm doing."

"Your magic might be a bit off, even depleted. I just don't want you to overdue it."

"Depleted? Off? Wh - the Veela thing." Hermione slumps against the wall, defeated. "Of course."

"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you'll soon find that being a Veela is a gift. Your magic will return, stronger than ever. Just give yourself some time."

"I've given myself some time, Fleur. When will I be able to return to work as usual?"

"It's different for everyone. You might be back to normal now. There's no way to tell until something happens."

Hermione sighs.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Hermione smiles briefly and follows the others downstairs.

"Extrico veneficium!" Harry, Hermione, Fleur, Bill, and Remus yell in unison. The casket shakes and slowly starts to come apart, with strands that look like silly string pulling away from the main body and falling to the floor, but progress comes slowly. The spell is well built, and Grindelwald is one of the most powerful witches of the age.

"It's working!" Hermione breathes, nudging Harry excitedly. He looks over, smiling fondly at how flushed with excitement her face is. He hasn't seen her looking this healthy in a long time.

A/N: I am so so sorry I haven't updated this in so long! If you're still sticking with this story, thanks. I know it hasn't gotten very interesting yet, but I'm going to try to update it more over the summer. Please leave a comment or something to let me know there are still people reading!

Love, iLeftMyHeartInNarnia


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hermione is back to waking up at 5 am, but one morning, Harry actually beats her. She finds him in the basement, pouring over several letters.

"It's definitely Malfoy." He says cheerfully, looking up from his work when she approaches.

"Harry… why are you down here?"

"I was going to show up early, get a head start on Regulus, but I got distracted. These were delivered straight to my window last night, and I didn't have time to work on them at the time but I'm getting to it now. And it's definitely Malfoy. Look at this wording! 'HP, try Iceland. North.'"

"There are only four words in that, how can the the wording - you know what, never mind. I thought we already searched Iceland remotely?"

"There's another note. She's underground. Our spells didn't detect her."

"OK, so underground in the north isn't very specific. We still probably won't be able to find her. Like, that literally does not help. At all."

"Well, it's Malfoy, what do you expect?"

"I maintain - how do you know - ok forget it. So assume it's Malfoy. How does he know? If he's embroiled in an evil cult, how is he getting all these letters to you? If he escaped, how is he getting the information? I'm sure they're moving around a lot."

"Exactly. So we have to move fast. I don't want to skip out on your Veela project, but -"

"It's fine, Harry. I understand. This is a major investigation. I'll survive as best as I can without you."

"I'll be back soon. This won't take long. I'm assembling a team and we're leaving this morning."

"Stay safe."

"I will."

Ginny shows up exactly 15 minutes after Harry leaves.

"Hey, Mione! How are you doing? With the whole… you know."

"I'm fine." Hermione replies between castings of extract veneficium, which seems to be becoming less and less effective as time goes on. "Can you help me with this?"

"Yeah, of course."

After a few minutes, Hermione says carefully, "I think Harry has a crush on Malfoy."

"This is news to you? He obsessed about the kid for months in the sixth year! What brought you around now?"

"He keeps getting those anonymous tips, and despite there being no evidence whatsoever, he's decided it's Malfoy."

"I mean… it might be."

"It might be. But it's unlikely, and he's kind of fixated on it."

Ginny just shrugs. "I don't know why you're asking me this, Hermione. We broke up months ago because he never communicated anything. Ironically, I probably know the least about his emotions. All I know is the borderline unhealthy obsession with Malfoy. Hey, I think I did something!"

A strand comes crashing to the ground with a sound much louder than seems possible, and Ginny and Hermione cheer quietly so as not to wake up anyone else in the house.

"This Veela thing is honestly pretty annoying. I have this pressure in my chest whenever I'm not in this room, and there's this urgency to reach him. But at least I'm not in constant pain anymore. And I don't feel quite as hormonal and out of control all the time."

"How much longer does Fleur think you have?"

"About nine days. But we're not sure exactly what's going to happen; I'm only half Veela, and I'm technically in his presence so the effects of not being around him aren't as bad as they would be."

"Why would Harry leave if he knew we only had days left?"

"He… uh… doesn't. I didn't want him to worry about me, especially when he's trying to crack this Grindelwald case. It's much more important that he keeps the entire world safe than cares for me having a personal crisis. We can do this without him. Probably."

"I'm not going to tell him, but I just want you to know I don't agree with this."

"I know, I know, it's most likely a terrible idea, but I just don't want to bother him with it. We've cracked the shell away almost an inch; only three more inches to go!"

"I'm going to go make us some waffles. Sound good?"

"Very. Thanks so much, Gin. You're the best."

Ginny heads up to the kitchen and within minutes, Hermione can smell mildly burned waffles. She smiles affectionately and continues casting.

 _Hermione?_

 _Regulus! Are you OK?_

 _I'm fine, I just - just now, I could hear you. Something about… waffles?_

 _Maybe this means we're breaking through the shell!_ Hermione exclaims, almost jumping up and down with delight and not entirely sure whether it's the human or Veela side of her that feels this way.

 _I hope so. I don't think I've been awake for years, but now that I am, I want to actually do something._

 _Oh, by the way, Harry is going after Grindelwald. They got an anonymous tip that she's underground in northern Iceland. I just thought you should know._

 _He's taking people with him, though, right? He's not going alone?_

 _Of course not! He promised me he was taking a full team._

 _That's good. It's just that… from all you've told me about him, it kind of sounds like he wouldn't want to put others in danger. I'm glad he's changed._

 _Maybe I should check on him. Just in case. I'll be back in a minute._ "Ginny, do you still have that tracker app from when you and Harry were dating?"

"Please, Mione, don't remind me of that dark time. But yes, I do. Why?"

"This is going to sound insane… but Regulus said that based on the stories I've told him about Harry - and I've told him many stories about Harry - he's worried that Harry went to Iceland alone. I told him he promised to take a team, but…"

"I'll check. Just in case." Ginny pulls out her phone and Hermione takes over the waffles until she hears Ginny click her tongue. "Yeah, he's out of range. I don't know for sure if he's in Iceland, but it's entirely possible. Who's usually on his elite team?"

"The only people I can remember are Ron, Dean, Seamus, Katie, and Luna."

"Luna?"

"They hired her a couple months ago when she accidentally caught a Death Eater; something about sensing weird amounts of Wrackspurts? Apparently she's been great for the team, but they usually don't send her out of town unless it's a dire situation. I'll call her."

"Thanks, Ginny."

Harry's running across an open field, ducking behind trees even though he's hidden by multiple spells and his cloak, when he gets the call.

"Harry?"

"Ginny? What's wrong?"

"You promised Hermione you were taking a team."

"This is between Grindelwald and me."

"Harry -"

"You know why I have to do this alone."

"This is why we broke up!" Ginny shrieks at volumes usually unheard by human ears, then hangs up the phone.

"Great." Harry mutters under his breath before moving forward.

"Potter." He hears a cold voice utter, and turns to find Draco Malfoy leaning against a tree and looking smug.

"I knew it was you!"

Malfoy blinks and actually steps back.

"What? How? I was so careful! I mean - that's not the point. I'm here to help you bring Grindelwald down."

"How did you find out I was here?"

"You've tripped, like 20 sensors so far. You're just lucky I was manning security, or you'd be dead in a lake by now. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm sure you've heard about the… the event that killed Nymphandora Tonks. I know Grindelwald is responsible. I need to hold her accountable, and I don't care if it's because she's in Azkaban or because I kill her. This is a dangerous mission. My teammates have friends, families, people that depend on them."

You really are an idiot." Malfoy observes drily. "Well, you're about as helpful as anyone around here. Let's go."

"Go…?"

"I disabled all the alarms. No one will notice for a couple hours, and we're still a mile away from base camp, so unless you want to get caught, let's go."

A/N: OK I have no idea what happened to this chapter. I am so sorry! Hopefully it's working now.


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